Adjustable splint



" y 1, 1930. E. G. KETTELKAMP 1,768,770

ADJUSTABLE SPLIN'r Filed May 26, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 48 I v a 3 26 6 2 4o 32 3o 29 Enoch 6.](eiZeZhamn Wi'jnems:

- riding of the fragments.

I i Patented July l 1939 f Encart- G. E ummies Kansas oITY, MIssouBI DJUST BL srnrnm Application .filed May 26,

My invention relates to adjustable splints of fractures of the upper and lower extrem ities. As an emer encyappliance the device can he used orfanyfracture-of the arm by holding the latter in fixed position so that danger of additional truma to the injured part during transportationwill be.

reduced to a minimum.

Another object is to provide an appliance which can be readily adjustedto either arm and whereby traction may be applied in such manner as to overcome muscle contraction which has atendency to causeover- Other objects will hereinafter appear and in order that the invention may be. fully understood'reference will now be. hadto the accompanying drawings, .in whichz arm in an extended andapproximately hori- Zontal position. v r v Fig. 2 showsthe device applled to the 35 lower portion of the body for holding one of the legs in extended position.

Fig. 3 shows the device appliedto the up per portion of the body'a-nd adjusted. for

holding the arm away from the body and with the forearm arranged approximately at rightangles to the upper .arm.

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the device detached from the body and adjusted in full and dotted lines for holding either the right or leftarm in different positions.

' Fig. 5 is a view somewhat similar to Fig. 2 with the devicedetached from the body.

Fig. 6 shows the device folded into compact form for storage or transportation. 9 In carrying out the invention I employ a Fig. 1 shows the device adjusted to the upper portion of the body for holding the 192s. serial No." 280,799.

body plate which is curved to: approxi different portions of the body and is providmately fit the curvature of the'differentpor- 1 does of the bodyto whichit is to be ap= plied. TheIplate2 is made of thin materiah sothat it may be. flexed to betterjfit the" s ed with straps 4;, 6 and {land buckles. 10, 12 i and 1,4 whorebyit "may be firmly drawn against and held in position upon the body.

The straps l, 6 and Sareatta'ched to one side of the plate 2- while the buckles 10, 12 and 1.4:- are secured-to respective, short straps 16, 18 and 20 theopposite side of'the plate 2,.

22 designates a' b ar uponwhichthe body plate2 is fixedly mounted, Said bar 22 is connectediatl one end bya' hinge 23 to a brace member 24 and at itsopposite. end v ahinge25 to a second bar 26; whichlatter is prov ded with a fixedly mounted second? plate 28 and asecond brace, member 27.; The

"brace member 27 issecured tothe bar, 26

by a hinge 29. and adjustably and detacha-Y blyconnected to the brace. member. 2 1; by a bolt 31 equippedwith a nut: 33.

designates a'third bar 'which is fixed toathird plate 32 and adjustably and-detachably connected at one end. to the second bar 26 by suitable means such as a bolt 34;

and a wing nut 36, andjdetachably connected at its opposite end to afourthbar 38'by bolts 40 and 42 andjnuts 44 and46. The

bar, 38 is bent approximately at rightangles and provided at one end with a traction member 48 consisting in the present instance of a screw eye equipped with nuts 50 and; 52

which are arranged at opposite sides of'said .bar38. I 5st designates a third brace member which maybe connected to'ithe bars 26 and 28 to reinforce the latteras disclosed by Fig. 1., which .showssaid brace member detachably secured in place by suitable means such as the bolt 34. and bolts56 and 58. The bolts- 56 and 58 are equipped'with nuts'60 and 62. respectively. f Y f v u s In the treatment of a fracture requiring the arm of the patient to be held in an egg tended position as shown by Fig. 1, the

plate 2 is placed against the side of the body with thelhin ged end 25 of the bars22 and 26 disposed in the axilla. The plate 2 is secured to the body with the straps 4, 6

I and 8, and the plates 28 and 32 are held in alinement to support the arm by the bars 26 and 30, and the brace members 24, 27

and 54. Traction may be applied to the arm" of the patient for overcoming contraction of the muscles, which has a tendency to cause the adjacent ends of the fragments brace member 27 upwardly or downwardly point and then securing said brace members rmly together withthe bolt 31 which may be placed through any of the holes 66 and 168 in the'brace members 24 and 27, respectively. I p

If the fracture is such as to render it de- 'sirableto flex the arm at the elbowasl shown 'by Fig. 3, for overcoming anterior or postcriorv bowing of the arm, the brace member 54 is removed and the bar. is swung on thejbolt 34. at a suitable angle to the bar 26 and the plate 28. The bar 30 is then secured from further movement by the brace member 54, one end of which is secured to the intermediate portions of the barv 26 and the plate 28'with the bolt 60, while its opposite end is secured to the intermediate portions of the bar 30 and the plate 32 with the bolt 58. The bar 30 and the plate 32 have a series of registering holes 59 through an of which the bolt 58 can be placed when it is desired to change the angle of the plate 32with-respect to the plate 28. If the fracture is such as to require traction on the upper arm the bar 38 is transferred from the front end of the bar 30 to the rear end thereof and the forward end of bar 26, and secured in place with the bolts 34 and 56. Adhesive tape A is then applied to the upper arm and connected to the traction member "4 8;withthe cord B, afterwhich the arm may i be bandaged to the appliance.

1 In emergency treatment of a fracture of any part of the leg or thigh the splint is extended full length in order to reach from thejtopof the illiac crest to a point beneath the foot as shown by Fig. 2. The plate 2 is firmly secured to the body by means of the stra 4, 6 and 8 and the leg is held in exten ed position by means of the adhesive 7 I tapeA, the cord B and the traction member 48. The leg can then be bandaged its entire to the splint so that the patient can besafely transported to a hospital or other i litlcanbe readily accomplished by sliding the upon the brace "member 24 to the desired point where the usual treatment for such cases can be administered. 7

Fig. 4 discloses how the plate 32 may be swungon thebolt 34 to different positions with respect to the plate 28, thereby rendering the splint ap licable to either the right or left arm. The splint is preferably made of aluminum so that X-ray pictures can betaken of a fracture without removing the splint and also for the purpose of reducing the weight of the splint to a minimum, so that it may be readilycarried as a part of the regular equipment of a physician.

When not in use the appliance can be folded into compact form as disclosed by Fig. 6.

From the foregoing description it is apparent that .I have provided an appliance which is well adapted for the purpose intended and while I have shown one form of the ap liance I reserve all rights to such other fbrms and modifications as properly fall withinithe spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is: V g

' 1..In an appliance of the character described, a body plate, a brace member hinged at one end to the lower end of said body plate and provided near its free end with a plurality of holes, a second plate hinged at one end to the upper end of the body plate, a second brace member hinged at one end to saidsecond plate and provided at its free end with a plurality of holes spaced to register with the holes in the first brace member when the free ends of said brace members are arranged in'an overlapping position to hold the plates at an angle to each other, an element adapted to be placedin any two of the registering holes for securing the overlapping ends of the brace members together, a third plate operably connected to the free end of said second plate, a bar bent an angle and adapted to be secured to either the free end of said third plate or at the connection of the latter with the second plate, and a traction member threaded in said her.

2.;In an appliance of the character described, a bodyplate, a second plate hinged at one end to the upper end of the body plate, a third plate operably connected to the free end of said second plate, a bar bent ENOCH G. KETTFJ LKAMP. 

